Collator control



June 30, 1959 D. R. NEWHOUSE COLLATOR CONTROL Filed Aug. 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

Donald R. N6whouse United States Patent COLLATOR CONTROL Donald R. Newhouse, Portland, 0reg., assignor to T. W. & C. B. Sheridan (30., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application August 6, 1957, Serial No. 676,624

7 Claims. (Cl. 27055) This invention relates to collating machines such as may be used for assembling sections of material into a composite bundle. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel mechanism controlling the operation of a collating machine, the mechanism stopping the machine if a relatively large number of bundles are faultily prepared but allowing the machine to run continuously if a relatively small number of bundles are faultily prepared. in the latter instance, a reject mechanism is actuated which rejects the small number of faulty bundles from the series of bundles discharged from the collating machine. Further, the control mechanism includes a compensator for adjusting the count of the completed bundles produced by the collator. The action of the compensator is correlated with the action of the reject mechanism in the collating machine whereby the count of the completed bundles refers to bundles other than those rejected by the reject mechanism.

Exemplary of collating machines of the type contemplated in this invention are the so-called stufling or inserting machines used in assembling together the various ections of a newspaper. While the control mechanism of this invention is described hereinbelow in the setting of a newspaper inserting or stuffiing machine, it should be understood that the control mechanism of this invention is not limited to this specific type of machine, but may be employed advantageously in analogous machines.

A conventional insert or stufiing machine used by newspaper publishers today includes a rotating frame structure mounting a series of pockets, the combination often being referred to as a merry-go-round. A section of a newspaper is dropped from a feeder mechanism having feeding stations or heads disposed above these pockets as the pockets are moved continuously beneath the feeder mechanism. A completed paper, which consists of a bundle of separable sections, is dropped from a given pocket when the pocket passes a discharge station located at some point in the path of travel of the merry-go-round onto a transport conveyer which carries the paper to other points in the plant.

Occasionally one or more of the feeding stations or heads in the insert machine during its operation either will fail to deliver an insert into a pocket or else will feed too many inserts into a pocket. In either case, a fault occurs in the collection of a section by one of the pockets. This may be referred to as a miss. While some misses are self-clearing, that is, occur only once in a while in any given feeding head without immediate repetition, other misses tend to recur either because of faulty operation of the feeding head, or perhaps because of an exhausted supply of inserts in the head. Statistical studies which have been made have indicated that the self-clearing misses are the preponderate type which occur, recurring misses which require the service of an attendant occurring relatively rarely. This invention contemplates a collator which includes control mechanism operable to analyze the type of miss which occurs, the mechanism then controlling the operation of the inserting machine in such a manner that maximum production and minimum shutdown is possible.

Generally, it is an object of this invention to provide a collator and a control mechanism therefor which is operable to actuate a reject mechanism rejecting a completed bundle produced by the machine if an intermittent.

miss occurred and the bundle is imperfect. The reject mechanism is operated without shutting down operation of the machine. A related feature of the invention is the inclusion of means in the control mechanism whereby the collator is stopped if a consecutive series of re-. curring misses occur, enabling the cause of the malfunc-.

tion to be determined and suitable correction of the.

machine to be made.

It has been observed that optimum output can be. realized if a collator machine is not stopped when an Also, when a consecutive.

of the reject mechanism in the event that the collating ma-v chine is stopped because of recurring misses. Commonly, newspaper publishers provide a kicker or counter arm which displaces every twentieth, thirtieth,

or other arbitrarily chosen numbered paper discharged from the pockets of the merry-go-round onto the transport conveyer. This enables a worker unloading the conveyer to pick up stacks of papers of known count.

The count should be made with reference to perfect papers and not imperfect ones. For this reason, the operation of the counter or kicker arm should be correlated with the operation of the reject mechanism. Another object of this invention, therefore, is to provide control mechanism for a collator which includes compensator means correcting the count performed by the counter or kicker so that in any series of bundles, the bundles counted do not include bundles rejected by the reject mechanism. It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel control means for a collator which includes a memory member having a plural number of triggerelements mounted therein corresponding in number to the number of pockets or collecting stations of the collating machine, and means movable relative to the memory member actuated by a trigger when it is in an activating condition so as to produce compensation in count and activation of the reject mechanism at the time a malformed bundle falls from the pockets of the collator.

While the trigger elements are operable to produce compensation in count and activation of the reject mechanism at the time the bundles fall from the pockets of the collator, the same trigger elements are operable to stop the collator machine when consecutive misses occur, the machine being shut oif before the bundles are discharged. This enables the malformed bundles to be corrected before being dropped from the collator so that the papers, when they finally are dropped, are perfect. The control means for the collator of this invention contemplates the inclusion of novel switch members controlling the reject" When the malformed bundles are cured in this.

. 3 7 machine and a unique organization of elements in the control means operable to bring about the requisite control.

Other novel features and objects of this invention will become more fully apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top view, greatly simplified, of a conventional inserting or stuffing machine used for assembling sections of a newspaper into a completed paper;

Fig. 2 is a simplified side view, along the line 22 in Fig. 1, illustrating a feeding station or feeding head of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a simplified side view, along the line 3+3 in Fig. 1, showing the discharge of completed papers from the. pockets of the inserting machine at the discharge station for the machine;

Fig. 4 is a simplified view, along the line 4 -4 in Fig. 3 showing completed papers carried away on a transp'ort conveyer and the location of the kicker 'or reject arm and the counter arm in the machine;

Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in sectiomof a compensator mechanism employed in the invention; 7

Fig. 6 is a detailed end view of the control unit for the .collator machine;

Fig. 7 is a section view along the line 7-7 in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a schematic showing of a control circuit such as may be regulated by the control unit,

Referring now to the drawings'for a more detailed description of the invention, and in particular to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a conventional inserting or stuffing machine is illustrated in simplified form, the machine comprising generally a merry-go round structure 10 having framework "I1 interlaced in the structure and supporting about theperipheray of the merry-go-round structure a series of pockets or collecting stations indicated at 12. Merry-goround '10 includes a central hub portion 13 which is rotatable about an axis14. Rotationof the hub portion serves to move pockets '12 in'a closed circular path about axis 14 at the center of the framework. Means are included for rotating the hub portion and the merry-gorou'nd which, in the embodimentillustrated, comprises a motor 16 driving a miter gear 17 engaging another gear 18 aifixedto hub portion 13. In "Fig. l, the merry-goround is rotated in acou'nterclockwise direction. 7

. Suitably 'affixed to the floor above the path of pockets 12 as they move in their circular path are a series of stationary feeding stations or heads 21a-21e, indicated in block outline in Fig. 1. Five of these feeding stations are illustrated in Fig. l. Eachof the feeding stations includes mechanism for pulling off an insert stacked in the head and sending it on the fly into the open upper end of a pocket passing therebeneath.

A simplified showing of such a feeding station is indicatedin Fig. 2. 'As'illustrated in Fig. 2, the feeding stati'on 21 may comprise arotatabledrum 22, having a detachable clamp means such as pivotal finger 23 carried on the periphery thereof, operable, when actuated by suitable mechanism, to move over and to clamp onto the edge of an insert 25 disposedin its path. Drum 22 is rotated in synchronism with the movement of the pockets by means of a shaft '24 drivingly connected to the hub portion of the merry-go-round as'by gear 26 engaging gearlS- A stack of'inserts30' is'held within framework '27 of the feeding head,'the'bottom of the stack'being supported on a movable shoe 28 and a ledge 29'. "Shoe 28 is fixed to a shaft 31 mounted in frame work 32 of the head, and the shoe ispivoted outwardly to release the edge of an insert by rotating shaft31. Movement of shaft 31 is also synchronized by suitable mechanism with movement of the merry-'go-round. 'A 'sucker'33, operated by a vacuum, pulls the 'e'dge'of an insert 'downwardlyagain'st drum 22 after 'releaseof the insert by shoe 28, as shown in the dotted outline in Fig. 2. As the drum rotates, finger 23 is moved by suitable mechanism outwardly from the periphery of the drum and up over the edge of an insert to grasp the insert and pull it down with the rotating dnum.

A caliper switch 34 mounted on framework of the feeding head adjacent the periphery of the drum functions as a signal means signaling a fault in the collection of a section by a pocket or collecting station moving under the feeding head. The caliper switch has a pivotable arm 35 carrying a roller at the end thereof which is biased inwardly against the drum. If for any reason too many inserts are picked up by sucker 33 and finger 23, arm 35 of the caliper switch moves in a direction away from the drum when the inserts pass under the switch closing switch 34. The switch is also closed if no inserts are picked up by the drum so that arm 35 of the caliper switch moves inwardly against the drum. Switch 34 is prevented from signaling a fault when those portions of drum 22 which during normal functioning ordinarily would not carry an insert are moved past switch 34. This may be done either mechanically, or electrically, as by switch 36 (carried by framework of the feeding head) actuated on rotation of shaft 24 by element 38 secured 'to the shaft. Switch '36 is operable to close the circuit to switch 34 only during those intervals that an insert should be carried by drum 22 past switch 34.

A merry-'go-round 10 rotates about axis 14, successive pockets 12 pa'ssa discharge'station indicated generally by the outline 41 in Fig. 1. Conventional mechanism is provided at the discharge station to open up the pockets so that the completed bundle of inserts collected by the pockets are deposited ona conveyer such as transport conveyer 42.

Referring to Fig. 3, ea'ch of the pockets 12'is comprised of a pair of sloping walls, a fixed wall 46 secured to the frame structure of the 'merry-go-round and a pivotable Wall 47 'pivotable at'its'upper edge about pivot 48. The lower end of wall'47 is pivoted inwardly'when collecting inserts. On passing'discharge station 41, the lower end of pivotal wall 47 is moved outwardly away from fixed wall 46 "whereby the bundle of inserts collected by a pocket slides out and is discharged -from the pocket. Suitable mechanism (not shown), actuated "when a pocket p'a'sses'the discharge station, is included to move pivotal wall 47. Extending into the discharge station and driven'by gear 181s a shaft 49. Shaft 49 is connected'by gearing (not shown) to a laydown shaft 50. Shaft 50 is rotated in a clockwise direction in Fig. 3. Laydown arms such as la'ydown arm 51 are secured to shaft 50 and are'rot'ated by shaft 50 in a clockwise direction in Fig. 3. The'rotati'on of shaft 50 is synchronized with the movement of the merry-go-round so that the arms catch a paper or bundle dropped from a pocket when a pocket'is'openedatdts bottom end. The paper is then deposited by continued movement of the arms on conveyer 42.

A shaft 52 carried in the framework of the discharge station ro'ckably mounts a pair of displacing arms 53 and 54. Each of these arms is provided with a fluid motor, indicated at 55 and 56, having a piston rod movable in andoutin response to the inlet and exhaust of fluid under pressure to opposite sides of the motor cylinder. A solenoid motor may be used, if desired, in place of the fluid motor. The arms'ar'e rocked about shaft 52 independently of each other by actuation of the fluid m'otor connected thereto. The lower end of each displacing arm, when pi-v'oted to the right in Fig. 3, comes into contact with the trailing edge of a completed paper, and then moves the paper to a skewed position, while the paper is being deposited on transport conveyer 42 -by arms '51. It will be noted, with reference to Fig. 4,155: arm '53"i'siocatedso as tostrike theright endof-a paper, viewing in thedifec'tion-of travelof the-conveyor in- Fig. 4, and thisarm constitutes the reject armor reject nic'hanism of the collator machine. The other arm 54 is positioned so that the arm, when rocked about shaft 51, strikes the left end of a paper, this arm skewing the paper in a direction opposite from arm 53. Arm 54 constitutes the counting arm or count means in the collator.

The merry-go-round, collecting pockets, feeding stations, and discharge station so far described are conventional. Inserting or stufling machines of this type are available, for instance, from the T. W. and C. B. Sheridan Company of New York. While specific details of various mechanisms may vary, depending upon their source and age, generally the machines are designed to perform the function of the machine described, that is, to collect in a series of pockets a series of inserts fed from feeding stations or heads movable relative to the pockets, the pockets then discharging a completed paper on a transport conveyer which transports the papers to other points in a plant.

This invention contemplates the inclusion, with a collator of the type described, of a control mechanism operable to stop relative movement of the pockets past the feeding stations or heads whenever consecutive misses occur, as determined by caliper switch 34 of each head. When a self-clearing miss is recorded by switch 34 (normally one miss), relative movement of the pockets past the feeding stations or heads continues. However, the control mechanism performs the function of actuating motor 55 connected to arm 53 at the time the imperfect bundle resulting from the miss is deposited on conveyer 42, thereby denoting this paper as a reject. The control mechanism also actuates a compensator unit which compensates in the count made by arm 54 for the malformed bundle by delaying the count impulse for a number of papers equal to the number of rejected copies. The journeyman mailer, in loading the papers from conveyer 42, thus has an accurate count of perfect papers. Neither the reject mechanism nor the compensator is actuated if the collator is stopped, since in this event the malformed papers may be corrected while still in pockets 12, and are deposited on conveyer 42 as perfect papers.

Referring to Fig. 1, 61 indicates generally the control unit for the collator, and 62 indicates the compensating unit regulated by control unit 61 and governing the actuation of motor 56 and counting arm 54. Control unit 61 is driven by a stub shaft 63 connected as by chain 64 to the motor shaft for motor 16. In this manner, the stub shaft is rotated at a speed related to the movement of pockets 12 past heads or feeding stations 21. The ratio of the rotation of stub shaft 63 with the rotation of the merry-go-round is 1:1. Compensator unit 62 is driven by stub shaft 65 and chain 66.

With reference now in particular to Figs. 6 and 7 for a discussion of the control unit, shaft 63 rotates in a housing 67 suitably fixed to frame structure of the inserting machine. The shaft is mounted in a bushing 68 carried by a hub portion of the housing. Aflixed to one end of shaft 63, and rotating with the shaft within the confines of the housing, is a memory member or disk element 71. Disk 71 carries along its outer periphery of a series of trigger elements or pins 72.

Pins 72 are slidably mounted in the disk element and are equally spaced about the periphery of the disk element. The trigger elements correspond in number to the number of the collecting stations or pockets 12 of the inserting machine. Pockets 12 of the inserting machine are equally spaced about the periphery of the merry-goround so that the spacing of the pocket corresponds to the spacing of pins 72. Pins 72 may be held in disk 71, so as not to slide loosely out of the disk, in any suitable manner. In the embodiment shown, disk 71 is made up of three laminae, comprised of two steel plates 73 and 74 and a plastic sheet 75 interposed between pates 73, 74. The edges of the holes made in sheet 75 to accommodate pins 72 slide against the sides of the pins thereby frictionally to grasp the same.

Aflixed as by screws to a wall of housing 67 is an annular platform 76. The screws are inserted into socket portions 76a integral with platform 76. Platform 76 mounts a series of solenoid operated striker mechanisms 77a-77e. Each of the striker mechanisms has a striker element 78 mounted therein and moved to an extended position beyond the body of the striker mechanism by energizing of the solenoid of the striker mechanism. The striker elements are provided with frusto-conical shaped head portions. A striker element, when extended, is operable to adjust a pin moved over the element to an activating condition, illustrated by pins 72a in Fig. 7. A collar 79 on each pin limits movement of the pins outwardly from disks 71. The frusto-conical head portion assists in preventing inadvertent damage to the pins as they move over a striker mechanism. In the absence of current in the solenoids, a spring 80 returns the striker elements to their rest or base position, the position illustrated for the striker elements in Fig. 7.

Striker mechanisms 77 are positioned about annular platform 76 with the same relative spacing of the feeding heads or stations 21 about merry-go-round structure 10. Shaft 65 rotates disk 71 in a counterclockwise direction in Fig. 6 so that a pin on disk 71 passes striker mechanisms 77a, 77b, 77c, 77d, and 77e at the same rate that one of the pockets of merry-go-round 10 passes feeding stations 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, and 21e.

Rigidly fastened to a flange 81 of housing 67 are five stopping switch members 82a-82e. Each has a resilient switch arm 83 protruding outwardly therefrom. A roller 84 is carried at the end of each of the switch arms. A

pin in an activating position is operable to strike roller.

84- of these switch members thereby to flex the switch arm outwardly so that the arm depresses a button 85 mounted beneath the arm. Button 85 controls a normally open switch, which is closed by depressing the button and returns to an open position when pressure is released from the button. Rollers 84 of switch members 8211-82.? are placed ahead of the centers of a striker element at distance equal approximately to /1 the distance between a pair of pins 72. By so doing, a pin in an activating position strikes a roller 84 and depresses it at the same time that the next succeeding pin moves over the center of a striker element. As will be brought out below, switch members 82a-82e operate to stop relative movement of the merry-go-round and feeding heads, pro-.

vided they are actuated at the same time that a caliper switch 34, is closed, which corresponds to the time that a solenoid operated striker mechanism is energized. By placing each roller 84 ahead of a striker element a distance of one and three quarters times the distance between two consecutive pins, the control mechanism may be designed to stop movement of the collator if three consecutive misses occur rather than two. Platform 76 may be rotated and then aflixed to housing 67 to change the spacing of the striker element relative to the rollers, by removing the screws holding platform 76 in place and then inserting them into alternate socket members provided on platform 76.

Located in the path of pins 72, ahead of switch member 82c in the travel of the pins about housing 67 are a pair of switch members, reject switch member 86 and compensator switch member 87. The body of compensator switch member 87 is pivotably carried inwardly of flange 61 on a screw pin 88 connecting the body portion of the switch member to a bracket 89. Bracket 89 is afiixed to flange 81 by screws 90 which extend through and secure switch member 82e to flange 81. The body of reject switch member 86 is pivotably carried outwardly of pins '72 directly on flange portion 81. Reject switch member 86 pivots about pin screw 91. Screw 92 carried by the end of switch member 86 away from pin screw 91 is free to move a limited amount in a slot 93 formed in flange 81. A spring 94 interposed between the switch members operates to draw the free ends of the bodies of the switch members together, inward movement of the free ends of the switch members being limited-,"in the case of reject switch member 86, by the shoulder defined by the inner end of slot 93, and in the case of compensator switch member 87, by an abutment 95 carried by the switch member which strikes bracket 89.

Each switch member 86, 87 is provided with a shield, indicated at 98 and 97, respectively, aflixed to the body portion of the switch member. Each shield has a pair of ca'rnredges or surfaces disposed on either side of a notch. These are indicated for shield 97 at 101, 102, and 103 and for shield 98 at 104, 106, and 107. The length of carn'surfaces 101, 102, 104, and 106 is greater than the distance between two consecutive pins.

Resilient switch ar'ins 1'11, 110 of switch members 86 and 87 hold'rollers 114, 115 carried at the ends of the arms in front of notches 1G3, 107, respectively. The edges of the rollers are next to but slightly behind the cu'rved sweeps formed by joining by an imaginary line cam surfaces 101 and 102, and 104 and 1196, respectively. Slot 93 and abutment 95 permit the switch members to swing toward pins 72 sufiiciently fora pin to strike the rollers while passing notches 103, 107, providing switch members 86, 87 areriot held apart by the action of another pin engagiiig the cam surfaces of the shield members.

The cam surfaces of shields 97, 98 operate in the following manner. If a single pin occupies its extended or activating'position, as the pin travels in the housing and encounters the cam surfaces of the shield members, it first operates to wedge shield members 97, 98 apart slightly, pivoting the bodies of switch members 87, 86 about pins 88, 91. The shields keep the switch bodies spread apart until a pin reaches a notch in one of the shield members, whereupon spring 94 draws the shield member having the notch and the switch member connected thereto inwardly toward the pin. This causes the :pin to engage the roller for the switch member so that the resilient arm carrying the roller is depressed and the switch of the switch member is closed. The switch mechanism of switch members 86, 87 operates as does the mechanism of switch members 82a-82e, each being normally open and "each being closed when the resilient arm for the switch member is flexed by a pin. If a pair successive-pins travel along the shields in an extended position, the shields prevent the pins from engaging either roller 114 or roller 115, the shields constituting lockout means in the device. Thus, the switches of switch members 86, 87 are closed if a single pin passes the switch members in an extended position, but remain open if two successive pins pass the switch members in an extended position.

A pin return member 112 is secured to the housing through switch member 82a. Return member 112 has an inclined portion 113 which is operable to return any pin which occupies its extended position to its base or rest position when the pin travels under the inclined portion.

'Reject switch member 86, when closed, energizes a solenoid ganged to a valve controlling the inlet and exhaust connections to motor 55. Compensator switch member 86, when'closed, operates compensator unit 62.

-Referring now in particular to Fig. for a discussion of the compensator unit, shaft 65 is rotatably mounted in frame structure 120. Rotatably mounted about one end of shaft 65 is a sprocket member 121, having sprocket teeth 122 and clutch teeth 123. Reeved about sprocket teeth 122 is a timer chain 124. The lower reaches of chain 124 may hang freely, or the chain may bejreevedjabout a fr e e running sprocket such as sprocket 126 rloitiifably carried lay frame 120 below sprocketmernber 1 21. Timer chain 124-has a series of pins '12? secured thereto extending outwardly from the chain and adapted to engage a switch element 128 of switch 129. Each link of chain 124 is moved past element 128 at the same rate that a pocket 12 moves past discharge station 41. Pins 127 are spaced on chain 124 on every twentieth, thirtieth, or other arbitrarily chosen numbered link, the pins causing counting arm 54 to be actuated when they engage switch element 128. Switch 129 is closed when a pin engages switch element 128.

Mounted on the end of shaft 65 is a coupler 131. Coupler 131 is slidably mounted on but rotates with shaft 65 by means of screw end 132 carried by coupler 131 which protrudes into and slides in a groove 133 of shaft 65. A series of clutch teeth 134 is formed on one end'of coupler 131, which teeth are movable into and out of engagement with clutch teeth 123 of sprocket member 121. Teeth 123 and 134 correspond in number to the number of sprocket teeth 122 of the sprocket'member. In this manner, coupler 131 may be disengaged from sprocket member 121, partially revolved by shaft 65 an angular distance equal to the angular spacing between two successive sprocket teeth, and then be in position to reengage the clutch teeth of the sprocket member.

Coupler 131 is moved out of engagement with the sprocket member by energizing a solenoid 136 which is mounted on frame structure by a bracket 137. -A spring 138, interposed between bracket 137 and the movable armature of solenoid 136, functions to urge coupler 131 into engagement with sprocket member 121 when solenoid 136 is de-energized. compensator switch member 86 controls the energizing of solenoid 1'36 and thus the action of coupler 131 and sprocket member 121 which function as compensator means correcting the count made by counting arm 54.

Referring to Fig. 8, the control circuit for the yarious elements so far described is illustrated. L and L represent a pair of electrical source conductors. Solenoids for the striker mechanism are indicated at 140. While five striker mechanisms 77a7-'7e are used in the embodiment described, each having a solenoid 140, three of the five solenoids have been omitted from Fig. 8 for reasons of simplicity.

Each of the caliper switches 34 of each feeding head, when closed, connects a solenoid 140 to conductors L and L providing switch 36 for each head is also closed. Closing of switches 34,36 for one head energizes a solenoid 140 in the control unit corresponding to the head causing a striker element 78 to move out and push to an activating condition a pin passing over the striker mechanism energized.

The switches of the five switch members 82a'82e are indicated at 142. Each caliper switch 34 has an associated switch 142 placed in series therewith. Switches 142 are all connected at one of their ends to a relay 143 controlling motor 16. The switch of relay 143 is normally closed, and opened when the relay is energized. Closing simultaneously of any pair of associated switches 34 and 142, if switch 36 associated therewith is also closed, causes relay 143 to be energized and the connection for conductors L and L to motor 16 to be opened so that the motor is stopped. An associated pair of switches 34 and 142 are closed simultaneously in the event that a pin passes the roller for a stopping switch member in an extended position at the same time that a caliper switch regulating a striker mechanism immediately preceding the roller for the stopping switch member is closed.

In Fig. 8, switch 146 represents the switch of reject switch member 86, and switch 147 represents the switch of compensator switch member 87. Switch 146, when closed, energizes a solenoid 151 ganged to valve 152 controlling inlet and exhaust to motor 55. Switch 147, when closed, energizes solenoid 136 controlling coupler 131.

Switch 129 controlled by pins 127 of times 124 energizes a solenoid 156 -ganged to a valve 157. When switch 129 is closed, solenoid 156 is energized and valve 157 is adjusted so that counting arm 54 swings out to skew a paper.

The operation of the herein described control mechanism will not be described. When motor 16 is started, merry-go-round structure rotates together with the pockets or collecting stations carried thereby. Disk member 71 of the control unit also rotates within housing 67 at the same rate of speed.

Assuming that a self-clearing miss occurs in one of the feeding stations or heads, the caliper switch 34 for this feeding head closes for an instant simultaneously with switch 36 when a pocket passes thereunder, and a solenoid 140 for an associated striker mechanism in the control unit is energized. Since the miss is self-clearing, when a subsequent pocket passes beneath the feeding head, switch 34 remains open.

Energizing of the striker mechanism causes a pin to be moved to an activating position. The pin, while moving with disk 71, first engages the roller carried by the resilient arm of the stopping switch member placed directly in front of the striker mechanism. If the miss is not recurring, closing of the switch of the stopping switch member by the pin has no effect, and operation of the collator continues. It will be remembered, however, that the bundle carried in the pocket is imperfect.

When this pocket comes to the discharge station, the pin in the control unit corresponding to the pockettravels between shield members 97 and 98. Only a single pin is extended, so switches 146, 147 of switch members 86, 87 are closed by the pin as it moves past the switch members. This results in (l) actuation of motor 55 connected to reject arm 53, and (2) actuation of compensator unit 65 so that coupler 131 is pulled from engagement with sprocket member 121 for a partial revolution. As a result, the imperfect paper, when it falls onto transport conveyor 42, is skewed to indicate it is malformed, and a compensation in the count takes place.

Assuming now that two consecutive misses occur in one of the feeding heads, in this instance caliper switch 34 is closed when two successive pockets pass the feeding head. This causes two successive pins to move into an activating condition. The first pin passes the roller of a stopping switch member in an extended position at the same time that caliper switch 34 is closed by reason of the occurrence of the second miss. As a result, a switch 36 and a pair of switches 34, 142 are closed at the same time, and motor 16 driving the merry-go-round is shut off.

During the period of shutdown which follows, the malfunctioning piece of equipment may be corrected, and any improperly formed bundles made perfect. When the collator machine is then started up, the extended pins, on traveling between shield members 97 and 98, are prevented from actuating either of the switch members 86 and 87. The reject mechanism remains deactuated, and no compensation for count occurs.

In this discussion, a single miss has been considered as a self-clearing miss, and more than one miss following consecutively has been considered as a recurring miss. It should be obvious that if desired, the control mechanism may be adjusted so that a self-clearing miss includes a greater number of misses than a single miss. The important feature of the control mechanism is that it distinguishes between a relatively small number of misses and a relatively large number of misses.

While there has been described only a single embodiment of this invention, it is obvious that modifications and variations may be made in the organization and parts of the invention. It is not intended to be limited by the specific embodiment illustrated but rather to cover all modifications and variations that would be apparent to one skilled in the art and that come within the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1 In a collating machine; the combination of plural 10 feeder mechanisms for dispensing sections of material and a discharge station, all arranged in a common path with the feeder mechanisms following one another and with the discharge station in advance of the feeder mechanisms; a collecting station mounted for relative movement recurrently first past successive feeder mechanisms and thence past said discharge station; said collecting station being operable to collect a section of material dispensed ject means at said discharge station for rejecting a bundle discharged at said discharged station; and control means operatively connected to each of said signal means and said reject means and responsive to the signal means; said" control means having delayed action means for causing actuation of said reject means When at least one but less than a predetermined plural number of successive faults has occurred in the dispensing of sections of material from a given feeder mechanism and for causing such actuation of said reject means to cause rejection of a faulty bundle produced by reason of such faults at a time when the faulty bundle reaches said discharge station, and means for preventing actuation of said reject means by said delayed action means when said predetermined plural number of successive faults occur in the dispensing of material from the given feeder mechanism.

' 2. In a collating machine; the combination of plural feeder mechanisms for dispensing sections of material and a discharge station, all arranged in a common path with the feeder mechanisms following one another and with the discharge station in advance of the feeder mechanisms;

a collecting station mounted for relative movement recurrently first past successive feeder mechanisms and thence past said discharge station and power means for producing such relative movement; said collecting station being operable to collect sections of material dispensed by a feeder mechanism on moving past the feeder mechanism and to discharge a bundle of such sections of material at said discharge station on subsequent movement past said discharge station; a signal means mounted adjacent each of said feeder mechanisms responsive to the dispensing of sections of material therefrom for signaling a fault I 1 in the dispensing of material from the feeder mechanism to the collecting station; reject means at said discharge station for rejecting a bundle discharged at said discharge station; and control means cperatively connected to each of said signal means, said power means, and said reject 'means, responsive to said signal means; said control faulty bundle reaches said discharge station, means stopping immediately the power means producing relative w: movement of the collecting station past said feeder mechanisms when said predetermined plural number of successive faults occur in the dispensing of material from the given feeder mechanism, and lockout means preventing actuation of said reject means by said delayed action means on the occurrence of said predetermined plural number of successive faults.

3. In a collating machine; the combination of plural feeder mechanisms for dispensing sections of material and a discharge station, all arranged in a common path with the feeder mechanisms following one aonther and with the discharge station in advance of the feeder mechanisrns; a collecting station mounted for relative movement recurrently first past said successive feeder mechanisms and thence past said discharge station; said collecting station being operable to collect a section of material dispensed by a feeder mechanism on moving past the mechanism and then to discharge a bundle of such sections of material at said discharge station on subsequent movement past said discharge station; a signal means mounted adjacent each of said feeder mechanisms responsive to the dispensing of sections of material from the mechanism for signaling a fault in the dispensing of material from the mechanism to the collecting station; reject means at said discharge station for rejecting a bundle discharged at said station; count means at said discharge station for counting bundles discharged at said discharged station; and control means operatively connected to each of said signal means, said reject means, and said count means, responsive to the signal means; said control means having delayed action means for causing actuation of said reject means when at least one but less than a predetermined plural number of successive faults has occtn'red in the dispensing of sections of material from a given feeder mechanism and for causing such actuation of said reject means to cause rejection of a faulty bundle produced by reason of such faults at a time when the faulty bundle reaches said discharge station.

4. In a collating machine, the combination of plural feeder mechanisms for dispensing sections of material and a discharge station, all arranged in a common path with the feeder mechanisms following one another and with the discharge station in advance of the feeder mechanisms; a collecting station mounted for relative movement recurrently first past successive feeder mechanisms and thence past said discharge station and power means for producing such relative movement; said collecting station being operable to collect sections of material dispensed by a feeder mechanism on moving past the mechanism and to discharge a bundle of such sections of material at the discharge station on subsequent movement past said discharge station; a signal means mounted adjacent each of said feeder mechanisms responsive to the dispensing of sections of material from the mechanism for signaling a fault in the dispensing of material from the feeder mechanism to said collecting station; reject means at said discharge station for rejecting a bundle discharged at the discharge station; count means at said discharge station for counting bundles discharged at said discharge station; and control means operatively connected to each of said signal means, said power means, said reject means, and said count means, and responsive to said signal means; said control means having delayed action means for causing actuation of said reject means when at least one but less than a predetermined plural number of successive faults has occurred in the dispensing of sections of material from a given feeder mechanism and for causing such actuation of said reject means to cause rejection of a faulty bundle produced by reason of such faults at a time when the faulty bundle reaches said discharge station, means immediately stopping the power means producing relative movement of the collecting station past said feeder mechanisms when said predetermined plural number of successive faults occur in the dispensing of material from the given feeder mechanism, lockout means for preventing actuation of the reject means by said delayed action means when said predetermined plural number of successive faults occur in the dispensing of material from the given feeder mechanism, and compensator means operatively connected to said count means for correcting the count made by said count means upon operation of said reject means.

5. For a collating machine; said collating machine having a feeding mechanism and a plural number of collecting stations movable relative to a feeding mechanism and each collecting sections of material dispensed by said feeding mechanism thereby to prepare a completed bundle, signal means mounted adjacent said feeding mechanism responsive to the discharge of material from the feeding mechanism for signaling a fault in the discharge of material from the feeding mechanism into a collecting station, and reject means for rejecting bundles produced by the collating machine; control means for said reject means operatively connected to said signal means and reject means and responsive to said signal means; said control comprising a frame portion, a memory member mounted on said frame portion having plural trigger elements carried thereon corresponding in number to the number of collecting stations of said collating machine, means carried by said frame portion movable relative to said memory member in the path of said trigger elements and operating in response to said signal means for adjusting a trigger element to an activating condition when a fault occurs in the dispensing of a section as determined by said signal means, and a switch member mounted on said frame portion and movable relative to said memory member in the path of said trigger elements, said switch member controlling said reject means and actuating said reject means when at least one but less than a predetermined plural number of trigger elements are moved past said switch member in an activating condition.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said collating machine has in addition count means for counting completed bundles produced by the machine, and wherein said control means further comprises a second switch member mounted on said frame movable relative to said memory member in the path of said trigger elements, compensator means connected to said count means for adjusting the count made by the count means, and means connecting said second switch member to said compensator means whereby movement of a trigger member past said second switch member in an activating condition produces actuation of said compensator means and an adjustment in count.

7. The control means of claim 5 wherein said switch member comprises a pivotally mounted body portion having leading and trailing cam surfaces disposed on either side of a switch element, said cam surfaces holding said switch element out of engagement with said trigger elements if said predetermined plural number of trigger elements are moved past said body portion in an activating condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,039,541 Kast Sept. 24, 1912 2,298,368 Goebel et a1 Oct. 13, 1942 2,461,573 Schweizer Feb. 15, 1949 2,479,060 Davidson Aug. 16, 1949 2,542,073 Aberle Feb. 20, 1951 2,634,971 Schweizer Apr. 14, 1953 

